Seattle: Get Lectured By Stephen Vick!

Seattleites and travel-ready Northwesterners, this Friday, January 6th is your chance to attend a lecture presented by Sprudgie Award-winner Stephen Vick! Offered in association with the University of Washington’s Human Centered Design & Engineering department, Mr. Vick’s lecture is entitled “Traceabilty Systems for Coffee Farmers: A Key To Sustainability and Food Security.” The event begins PROMPTLY at 12:30 pm, and takes place in Loew Hall, Room 206. Here’s an excerpt from the abstract:

Stephen will be discussing data tracking systems at the coffee farm level and how they are critical to sustainability, traceability, transparency, and food security. Because coffee is grown exclusively in developing countries, a number of technological and cultural considerations must be made when designing and implementing these systems. He will discuss the progress and pitfalls of current systems and why HCDE professionals could play an important role in taking these systems to the next level, improving farmer livelihoods in the long run.

Here’s three simple reasons why you should attend this lecture:

1. Stephen Vick is a font of knowledge and a wonderful teacher. It’s almost impossible not to learn something from him, be it in casual conversation, at the cupping table, or in a more formal setting. The man drops gems like he’s got holes in his pockets.

2. The fusing of coffee and academia is nothing new, but there is as-yet no way to pursue coffee science, education, history and culture at the university level, save for self-directed inquiry. This lecture represents a too-rare opportunity to learn about coffee in a formal academic setting.

3. The University of Washington campus is just gorgeous. Attending this lecture gives you the chance to stroll the grounds, visit that big Hogwarts-lookin’ library reading room, and revel in the green / brown brambly winter vibes on one of America’s most beautiful urban campuses.